There are lots of gluten-free pasta recipes out there, some easy, some a bit more complicated, this courgette pasta is easy to make and is based on some ideas I have seen around, on using vegetables as a starch replacement. It’s great if you are eating a lower-carb diet or want to add more veg to your meals.
It took me a while to become convinced that you could make “pasta” by shredding, mandolin or spiraling vegetables, but one afternoon, I realized I was starving, I hadn’t had any lunch, and normally my go-to meal would be a big bowl of pasta, with some simple sauce or dressing. I rummaged in the pantry cupboard, and found to my dismay that I had no pasta (this is a disaster, I always have both gluten-free and normal pasta to hand) I then went to the fridge and found a couple of lonely looking courgettes, or as they are known in the US, zucchini. I decided to experiment.
Take two medium-sized courgettes, wash them, and grate them, skin on, lengthwise, on a cheese grater to form long “ribbons”. You can also use a spiral cutter, or a mandolin, if you have them, I don’t, although I am planning to get myself one of each. You also need some oil to stir fry it, and whatever sauce or seasoning you would like. I used a jar of pesto, for this, but plain cheese and oil, or any sauce you would normally put on pasta would also work.
Heat two tablespoonfuls of oil, in a frying pan or wok. I used olive oil, but whatever you prefer, is fine.
Toss the ribbons into the pan, and heat them through, until they are becoming tender. Probably about 2-3 minutes. Add a dollop of pesto sauce, and stir through. Serve. You can also use tomato or cream-based sauces or just sprinkle some cheese and olive oil and serve.
So, there you have it, a quick, veg loaded, tasty “courgette pasta” that actually isn’t pasta. I am going to experiment with other vegetables, to see what works, there are loads of recipes out there, for this type of thing.
sounds delicious, I’m going to try it!